TOW Chandler Doesn't Go Back
by Gambits Love
Summary: A 'What If' C & M story. What if Chandler was prevented from going back into Monica's apartment when they got back from London. Conclusion now up.
1. Chapter 1

THE ONE WHERE MONICA AND CHANDLER…YOU KNOW

DISCLAIMER: All characters from the TV series, 'Friends' are copyrighted to 'Warner Brothers'. All characters created outside and the plot of this story are copyrighted to the author. This work is non-profit and cannot be sold for profit. This is for entertainment purposes only and should be taken as such.

AUTHOR: Gambits Love 

SPOILERS: Minor, Seasons 5 - Some text taken from episode, 'The One After Ross Says Rachel'.

SYNOPSIS: A 'What if' story telling what may have happened if Chandler was stopped from going back into Monica's apartment once they got back from London.

THE ONE WHERE CHANDLER DOESN'T GO BACK

The door to the apartment closed behind Joey Tribbiani leaving his good friends, Monica Geller and Chandler Bing, by themselves. They stared longingly at each other, not sure of what to say.

"Well, we certainly are alone," Monica finally commented as she reluctantly broke the gaze and walked away from him. She took off her sweater and draped it over the back of the couch.

Chandler walked over to the fridge. "Yes. Good thing we have that, 'Not in New York' rule," he replied, over-brightly. He retrieved an apple from her fridge and tossed it absently from one hand to the other as Monica turned to look at him. 

She knew that now the subject was broached she needed to tell him something before she lost her nerve. "Right. Umm, listen since we're…we're on that subject, umm, I just wanted to tell you that uh, well, I…I was going through a really hard time in London, what with my brother getting married and that guy thinking I was Ross's mother…"

"Right," chuckled Chandler remembering the drunken man at Ross's wedding.

Trying to get passed the awkwardness she felt, Monica added, "Well, an-anyway, I just…that night meant a lot to me, I guess I'm just trying to say thanks."

"Oh," he replied softly. Her admission touched him and he wanted to assure her that the night had affected him as well. "You know, that night meant a lot to me too, and it wasn't because I was in a bad place or anything, it just meant a lot to me because…you're really hot!" He paused as he realised what he'd said and inwardly cringed. It hadn't come out quite as he'd intended it. He smiled winningly. "Is that okay?"

Monica laughed, liking his admission. "That's okay."

Glad that he'd made her laugh, lightening the moment, his smile broadened and he leaned towards her, "And I'm cute too."

Monica gave a little giggle. "And you're cute too," she repeated.

Chandler engulfed her in a bear hug. "Thank you," he said and pulled away. He held up his hand for a high five. "All right, I gotta go unpack."

"Okay." Monica slapped his hand and watched him leave.

He opened the door, only pausing long enough to say goodbye and then he was gone. 

Monica stared at the door desperately wishing he hadn't left. The night had meant so much more to her than she'd allowed him to believe and she knew that whatever happened, for her, things would never be the same again. Not quite knowing what she was going to do, she took a few steps towards the door then stopped. 'Bad idea,' she told herself firmly and turned away. 'You just sorted everything out. Don't go making a fool of yourself asking for something he obviously doesn't want. You've got your memories, just be happy with them.' 

With that self-reprimand, she grabbed her bag and stared one last time at her door. 'It's for the best,' she thought sadly, before going to bedroom to unpack. 

Chandler reached out to open the door to his apartment and then stopped. He looked back at Monica's door and his expression brightened as an idea came to him. Eagerly, he took a step back towards the apartment across the hall only to stop when his own door opened behind him and Joey stuck his head out.

"Dude, you've gotta see what the Duck did." He grabbed hold of Chandler's arm and dragged him into their apartment.

"But, Joe," Chandler tried to interrupt, "there's something I've got to take care of…"

"That can wait," his friend replied dismissively and slammed the door shut.

Chandler gazed resignedly at the closed door and sighed. 'Maybe this was how it was meant to be. What had he been thinking anyway? From what Monica had said, it was obvious that now they where back she didn't want anything to continue.' He shook his head sadly. 'It's for the best…damn it!'

****************************

Monica methodically unpacked her toiletries and souvenirs and then made a start on her clothes. She put away the items she hadn't worn and dumped the rest in her laundry basket ready to be washed. As she pulled various sweaters and pants from her case she paused briefly when she spied the red two- piece she had been wearing when she had gone to Chandler's room that night. 

A soft smile appeared on her face as she picked up the top and held it close to her. A faint scent hit her nose causing her to shut her eyes and sigh. Chandler. She sat down on her bed and let the memories of the night they'd spent together wash over her. His tender caresses, his hushed voice asking if she were alright and if she were sure of what they were doing. She touched a hand to her mouth and let out an inadvertent groan. And _boy_, he was the best kisser! There must be a law against a man having such soft lips she decided.

But of all that had happened that night, the thing that stayed with her the most was just how gentle and giving he had been. Everything had been for her. He had made her feel…loved.

A sudden knock on her bedroom door roused her from her daydream and her eyes shot open. "Who's there?" she asked as she quickly threw the dress into her wash basket and stood up.

"It's only me," announced Phoebe as she entered the room.

"Phoebe, I thought you'd gone home," said Monica in surprise.

"Yeah, well, I got to the coffee house and decided I didn't want to, so…" She shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

Monica gestured to the wash basket. "I was just going to do my laundry. You want to come with me?"

"Sure," Phoebe replied as Monica picked up the basket and walked passed her. "And then you can tell me all about that guy you had sex with in London."

Monica stopped abruptly and spun around to face her friend. She laughed nervously. "Phoebe, I already told you…"

"Oh please, Monica," Phoebe interrupted derisively. "I know you just denied it because Joey and Chandler were there but now we're alone I want to hear all the juicy details." 

Monica cursed quietly as Phoebe followed her out of the apartment and down to the laundry room. She knew Phoebe wouldn't let the subject drop and couldn't help but dread the next couple of hours.

*****************************

Chandler waited until he heard the door to the apartment shut behind him, then slowly turned his lounger around. He took a mouthful of beer from the bottle he held in his hand and stared at the door. Joey had gone to see Estelle, his agent, leaving Chandler all alone. 'OK, this is it' he thought to himself. 'Just get up and go and see her. Be brave, tell her how you feel.' He put his beer down and stood up. Slowly, he walked over to his door and opened it. He stared at the door opposite and forced himself into the hallway. He rose his hand to knock then thought better of it realising that it wouldn't be normal if he didn't just walk straight in. 'OK, act naturally, act naturally,' he told himself sternly.

With a deep breath he pasted a smile on his face and threw open the door. "Hey," he called out brightly as he entered. He was met with silence and after calling out again, realised that the apartment was empty. Disappointment flooded through him and he turned to go. Just as he reached the door, Monica appeared in the hallway carrying her basket of now clean laundry. They both stood still where they were and stared at each other. 

"Hey," he greeted quietly.

"Hey," she returned with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah…uh…look Mon, about what we agreed earlier, I've been thinking…and I just wanted to…uh…tell you...that I really want…"

Suddenly, Phoebe appeared behind Monica, breathing heavily. "Wow, those stairs are getting harder to climb every day," she said. "I have got to sit down."

Monica shot Chandler an apologetic glance then moved aside for Phoebe to enter. Their friend sat down on the couch then turned her head to look at them both. "What's going on?" she asked, noticing the tension between them.

"Nothing! Nothing at all," Chandler replied a little too loudly. "I just came over to borrow a…a pan that's all, but Monica doesn't have the pan I wanted, so now I won't be able to cook the dinner I wanted, which means I'll have to go hungry and eventually, probably die from starvation." He stopped as he realised how freaked he sounded and a flush crept up his cheeks. "And, I'll just go…now," he finished falteringly.

Grimacing at his awkwardness, he bowed his head and hurriedly left the apartment. Monica stared after him as he slammed his own door shut then she turned back to Phoebe. 

"Well…uh…I can't believe he got so upset over a pan," she remarked with a forced laugh, her mind still on what he'd been going to say before Phoebe had entered.

Phoebe shook her head in awe. "I can't believe he was actually going to cook something."

END OF PART 1


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry this part took so long but I've been unwell - I hope to get the next part up a bit quicker J 

SORRY THIS PART TOOK SO LONG BUT I'VE BEEN UNWELL - I HOPE TO GET THE NEXT PART UP A BIT QUICKER J 

TOW Chandler Doesn't Go Back - PART 2

Later that evening, Chandler, Monica, Phoebe and Joey all went down to Central Perk. Chandler had just finished paying for his coffee when Monica had sidled up to him at the counter and smiled. "Hey," he greeted pleasantly, "did you want a drink?"

Monica shook her head and glanced back at Joey and Phoebe who were sitting at the table next to the couch, arguing about something. "No, I just came over to ask what you were going to say this afternoon, you know…before Phoebe came in," she explained quietly.

"Oh…right," said Chandler, also casting a quick glance over at their friends. Seeing that they were still caught up in their own world, he looked back at Monica and smiled. "Well, it's about what we agreed, you know…about us…"

Monica nodded expectantly, then looked surprised as a shadow fell over them both. She looked around and then did a double take. "Oh my God, Ross!" Monica exclaimed and hugged her brother who, from the suitcase he dropped at her feet, had obviously just arrived from the airport. 

"Hi," Ross mumbled despondently as he hugged his sister back. He nodded to Chandler who acknowledged him with a smile that bordered on a grimace.

Monica released her hold and stepped back. "What are you doing back so soon? Didn't Emily turn up? What happened?"

"Well…"

"Hey, Ross, you're back!" exclaimed Joey as he and Phoebe joined the others at the counter. "Why aren't you in Greece? Emily a no show, huh? So what happened?"

Ross greeted his other two friends and then motioned for them all to sit down. "Let me get a drink and I'll tell you all about it."

"Oh, hey, I can get that for you," Chandler offered. 

"OK, thanks man," Ross replied, slapping him on the shoulder.

"No problem." He watched Ross turn away and looked at Monica, silently begging her to stay with him. Before she could do anything, however, Ross grabbed hold of his sister's hand and dragged her over to the couch with him.

Chandler watched her go and shook his head in defeat. He got his friend a coffee, then walked over and joined the rest of the gang who were now all gathered around Ross as he explained to them what had happened at the airport and how Rachel was now in Greece all alone.

Although Chandler felt sorry for what Ross was going through, his responses had all been automatic, as his mind had been firmly fixed on the brunette who sat next to him on the couch. His heightened senses had seemed to tune into every little movement she made, whether it was tapping her fingers on her leg or simply tucking her hair behind her ear. 

Then, to add to his own personal torture, he had placed his arm along the back of the couch and she had settled quite comfortably against him as she listened to her brother talk. Even though they'd often sat together like that in the past and not one of their friends even batted an eyelid at their cosiness, to him, the closeness had suddenly taken on a whole new meaning. 

Involuntarily, his hand had balled into a fist where his fingers literally itched to touch the silky softness of her hair. His mouth had tingled as he had gazed at her lips, wanting to feel them against his one more time. To make matters worse, she had then casually placed her hand on his leg, as she had so many times before causing him to immediately tense. A soft reassuring squeeze from her had relaxed him somewhat but it was the most frustrating and, at the same time, the most sensual thing he'd ever had to endure.

When Ross had finished talking, he decided to go home and the rest of the gang went back up to Monica's apartment. Phoebe asked if she could stay in Rachel's room and Monica agreed, even though she knew that it would certainly put paid to any chance of her talking to Chandler alone that night. Still, she'd make sure they had some time alone the next day. They weren't going to be interrupted again.

********************************

The following afternoon, Monica sat on her couch, arms folded and right foot irately tapping the floor. 'Where the hell is he?' she wondered angrily to herself. 'He knows Phoebe left an hour ago and _I_ know Joey's out at an audition, so why hasn't he come over?'

She sat there for another ten minutes and then suddenly stood up. She marched out of her apartment and straight across the hall into his.

"Hey," he greeted with a smile as she burst through the door. "I was just coming…"

"Chandler, are you going to ask me out or not?" Monica interrupted with a frown. "I've been sitting in my apartment, on my own for an hour, why haven't you come over?"

"I went out to get you these," he replied with a touch of annoyance. 

For the first time since she'd entered, Monica actually looked at him properly. He had his coat on and was holding a bunch of flowers.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know," she apologised. Her anger left her and she smiled as she took them from him. "Thanks, they're beautiful."

Chandler smiled. "You're welcome." He shrugged off his coat and laid it on the back of his lounger. "So, you think I want to ask you out, huh?" he teased as he turned back to her.

Monica chuckled. "Well, I'm guessing that's what you've been wanting to talk about." She shrugged nonchalantly as she leaned in to smell the flowers, then added, "That, and the fact that it's your turn anyway." 

Chandler looked at her quizzically. "It's my what?" 

"Your turn," she repeated. At his blank stare, she put the flowers down on the counter and held up her left hand as she began to count off each time with her right. "_I _was the one who came to your room. _I_ was the one that kissed you first…"

"Whoa, whoa, just wait a minute there," he cut in irately. "If I remember correctly, it was _me_ that suggested we get under the covers and it was _me_ that asked to come to your room the next night…"

"Yes, but _you_ came up with the 'not in New York' rule," she reminded him smugly. "That cancels out one of yours which makes it two to me and one to you…it's _your_ turn!"

"Nuh-uh," he responded forcibly. "_You_ agreed to the rule so that means it cancels out one of yours too, which makes us equal and since _you_ were the one who actually instigated everything that means it's _your_ turn."

Monica stared at him open mouthed. "Are you telling me that you're _not_ going to ask me out?"

"Well, I don't see why I should when it's _your_ turn," Chandler replied haughtily.

"It's _not_ my turn," she denied furiously. "And we're not going to get together until _you_ ask me."

"That's funny, I was just going to say the same thing to _you_," he countered heatedly.

"Fine!" she fumed. "We'll just see who gives in first shall we?"

Chandler folded his arms. "Well it's not going to be me!" he replied defiantly.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Monica goaded and turned on her heel to leave. She paused as she opened the door and turned back to him with a sweet smile. "I'll give it a week before you cave."

"No need, you'll have asked _me_ out _way_ before then."

"Only in your dreams, Chandler. Just remember, I _always_ win," she snapped before walking out of his apartment and slamming the door after her.

"Not this time," he muttered rebelliously and then jumped and swallowed hard as Monica's voice floated through the door.

"I heard that!"

END PART 2


	3. Chapter 3

The next few days saw Chandler and Monica desperately trying to get the other to break

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR THEIR FEEDBACK, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. HERE'S PART 3, I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT.

PART 3

The next day Joey and Chandler burst into Monica and Rachel's apartment with big grins on their faces. 

"Are we going to party are _what_, tonight, dude!" Joey shouted excitedly at Ross who was sat at the kitchen table with Phoebe and Monica.

"What?" asked Ross with a puzzled frown.

"Gladrag's back in town," Joey explained excitedly.

"That's _Gandalf_ Joe," Chandler corrected him with a shake of his head. "And why are _you_ so pleased? You've never even met him."

"I know! But we'll be partying tonight, right?" Joey asked.

Chandler nodded.

"We'll probably go to a club, right?"

"Probably…"

"And there'll be girls there, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, all right!" Joey exclaimed with a big grin. "Now you know why I'm pleased."

Chandler laughed and then looked at Ross. "So, you up for tonight?"

"I don't know, guys," Ross replied reluctantly. "I'd planned on ringing around Emily's family again this evening, you know? See if I can get one of them to tell me where she is.."

"Oh, come on Ross! Look what you're doing to yourself, man. Take an evening to chill out. Emily knows where you are…she'll contact you when she's ready. You can take your mobile. Besides, you haven't seen Gandalf for ages and he's only here for the one night, you've got to go," Chandler insisted.

Ross sighed, knowing his friend was right. He wasn't sleeping well and jumped every time the phone rang in case it was his wife. "Well, since I haven't seen him in a while, I guess I could come along for about an hour or so," his friend relented with a smile. He stood up suddenly and held his arms up above his head. "We are _so_ going to par-tay, tonight!"

"Yeah, we are," the other guys yelled back as they all started doing little jigs around the kitchen.

"OK, I've got to go and get ready. I'll see you guys later," Ross said as he all but ran out of the door. 

"You think he's gone to try and ring Emily again before we go out?" Joey asked Chandler quietly.

"Oh yeah, definitely," his friend replied with a nod of his head.

"Thought so."

"So, it sounds like you're planning on having a good time tonight," Monica commented as the two men sat down at the table with her and Phoebe.

"You better believe it," Joey said knowingly with a wink and a smile. 

"Absolutely," Chandler concurred and received a glare from Monica. Realising she wasn't happy with the prospect of him going out that night, Chandler decided to use it to full affect. "Yeah, Joe and me were thinking of going to Riley's first and then onto Dazzler's."

"The strip club?" Monica asked in disbelief. "But you can't do that!"

"Why not?" Joey questioned with a frown.

"Yeah, why not, Mon?" Chandler repeated with a sly smile.

Monica reddened slightly at her outburst then looked at Chandler and saw the challenge in his eyes. "Why not? Well…because…it's…it's been shut down for refurbishment," she lied.

"Oh, man…" whined Joey, clearly upset. "They had the hottest girls there."

"Oh, well, why don't you go to Vamp's instead?" Phoebe suggested much to Monica's dismay. "I know they're open because I have a friend who works there."

"Oh yeah? What's her name?" asked Joey interestedly, his momentary upset forgotten.

"Dan," she replied, much to the other's amazement. She saw their questioning looks and chuckled. "He works behind the bar."

"So, Vamp's it is then," Joey cried enthusiastically.

"Looks like," Chandler agreed with a smile. "Thanks for recommending it Pheeb's."

Monica gave a snort of disgust and folded her arms across her chest petulantly. 

"Oh hey!" said Joey suddenly. "Isn't Vamp's the place with that really hot redhead? You know the one who uses a snake to…"

"Yeah, I don't think you need to go any further with that, Joe," Chandler interrupted. 

"Yes, that is the place," Phoebe confirmed in response to Joey's question. "Dan's always saying that he just can't believe she uses a snake that long."

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Joey grinned suggestively. "Hot and an animal lover."

"Nah, she's not really my type," Chandler commented with a shake of his head.

"Dude, what are you talking about? _Any_ girl's your type," replied Joey.

Chandler glared at him. "That's _so_ not true." 

"Yeah, right," Phoebe chuckled.

"It's not! I have standards."

"Oh please…what about Janice?" Monica piped up sarcastically.

"I didn't say they were _high_ standards," Chandler defended.

"Ok, so what exactly _is_ your type?" Phoebe queried.

Chandler looked at Monica. "Well, I'd have to say she'd be brunette with a great sense of humour. Beautiful, passionate, caring, very stubborn and my best friend."

Monica smiled softly and looked down, a wave of emotion suddenly hitting her.

"What, you don't want her to be good in bed?" asked Joey in amazement. "That's always top of my list."

Chandler groaned and shook his head. 

"Well, _I_ think your dream woman sounds nice, Chandler," said Phoebe comfortingly. "Although, probably a little too good for you. You might want to lose the beautiful part."

"Thanks, Pheeb's," he replied sardonically.

"And the passionate bit," she added.

"I get the picture," he assured her with a smile.

The blonde smiled in return and then turned to Monica. "So Mon, have you heard anything from, 'you know who'?" 

Monica looked up, her eyes wide. "What?" she hedged.

"Your '_you know who_'," she emphasised.

"Oh! Uh, no, no I haven't," she responded with a nervous laugh.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…what 'you know who'?" Joey queried with a frown. 

"Monica's got a London guy," Phoebe giggled. "And she's _so_ smitten." 

"Phoebe!" the brunette exclaimed as she blushed furiously. "I'm _not_ smitten!"

The blonde snorted derisively. "Oh please, Monica. You couldn't stop talking about how great he was and you slept with the guy. You're smitten!"

"Who, whoa, whoa…you _slept_ with the guy?" Joey repeated in surprise then grinned. "Yeah, baby!" 

"Joey!" Monica groaned in embarrassment. "It wasn't like that…"

"Of course it wasn't, it all sounds very nice," said Chandler coming to her rescue. He grinned when she couldn't meet his gaze and turned back to Phoebe. "So what else did she say about this guy, Pheeb's? Was he handsome, funny, charming?" he asked mentally preening himself.

"Uh-huh, but I don't think he's your type," Phoebe teased.

Chandler pulled a face and Monica stood up. "Well, I'm not going to sit here and talk about this anymore. I've got lots of things to do that can't wait."

"Like what?" Phoebe asked curiously.

"Rearrange my underwear drawer for one."

"Need a hand with that?" Joey grinned suggestively, then stopped when he saw the glare that Chandler directed at him. "What?" he mouthed, puzzled but his friend just shook his head.

"Thanks Joey but I _think_ I can handle it," Monica replied as she walked off to her bedroom and shut the door.

"So, you two never saw Monica's guy then?" Phoebe wanted to know. They shook their heads. "OK, so there was no-one she spent a lot of time with or maybe talked to more than anyone else?" 

Joey thought back to their trip then shook his head. "No. In fact, she spent most of her time in London hanging out with Chandler and me." He smiled suddenly. "Until I hooked up with my bridesmaid that is and then she just pretty much hung out with Chandler, right?" he said looking at his friend. 

"Yeah…I mean, no…I mean…," Chandler faltered and then put his hand to his ear. "Wait, is that our phone ringing? I think it is." Seconds later he had left the apartment.

"That was weird," commented Joey in puzzlement then he suddenly stared at Phoebe in shock. "Hey, you don't think…" Joey began, gesturing after Chandler with a frown, "and…," he gestured towards Monica's bedroom, "…do you?"

It took Phoebe a couple of seconds to grasp what Joey was implying and then she shook her head vigorously. "Oh no! No…Monica said her London guy was fantastic in bed, so…"

"Oh yeah," agreed Joey with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Couldn't be him." 

END PART 3


	4. Conclusion

"Hey," Chandler greeted as Joey walked through the door half an hour later

THANKS FOR ALL THE FEEDBACK!! HERE'S THE FINAL PART

TOW CHANDLER DOESN'T GO BACK - CONCLUSION

"Hey," Chandler greeted as Joey walked through the door half an hour later.

"Hey. So who was on the phone?" Joey asked as he opened their fridge and grabbed a couple of beers. He opened them then handed one to Chandler before taking a swig of his own.

"Oh…uh…just someone trying to us sell insurance for the…uh…duck but I told him he wasn't interested," he lied and took a long drink of his beer before going to sit on his lounger.

"Man, people are always trying to sell you something," commented Joey in disgust as he flopped onto his own lounger.

Chandler gave him a disbelieving look, then shook his head and took another drink. Even after all these years, there were still times when his roommate's apparent lack of any sense amazed him. Still, at this particular moment, he was thankful . No awkward explanations as to why he left so abruptly.

There was a knock at their door and they looked at each other a moment before Chandler got up and answered it. 

"Oh my God! Dude! Come in. What are you doing here? I thought we were meeting up tonight?" Chandler cried and briefly hugged the tall, handsome, blond haired man that stood in the doorway.

"Well, I wanted to see what the old place looked like now and naturally, I couldn't wait to see my best bud again," the man replied with a grin. He glanced around the apartment quickly then turned as if to leave. "Ok, place looks the same and I've seen you, so now I can go," he joked.

Chandler grinned and put his arm around the man, turning him to face a bemused Joey. "Joe, this is Mike Ganderson better known as 'Gandalf the Party Wizard'!" he introduced excitedly.

"Oh, it's great to finally meet you man," said Joey and shook hands.

"Likewise. Chandler here, has told me a lot about you and I just got one question for you…are you ready to _party_?" 

"Yeah, I am!" Joey exclaimed. All the men high-five and grinned at each other. 

"OK, you want a beer?" asked Chandler as he retrieved one from the fridge and held it out to him.

"You bet," Mike replied gratefully. "Let's start this party early."

The door to the apartment opened again and Monica entered. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't realise you had company," she apologised and turned to go. "I'll talk to you later Chandler."

"No, wait a minute, Mon," Chandler called out. She turned back at looked at him expectantly. "This is Mike '_Gandalf_' Ganderson," he told her, gesturing to the man standing quietly next to him. "Mike, this is Monica, she lives across the hall."

"Pleased to meet you," greeted Monica as she held out her hand with a smile.

"Oh, the pleasure's _all_ mine, I assure you," Mike replied as he shook her hand slowly.

Monica giggled and Chandler's smiled faded as the seed of jealousy was sown. "She's also Ross' little sister," he told Mike with a hint of warning.

"Really?" Mike looked at her in surprise. "Wow! You sure look different than in your photo's. Ross didn't tell me you'd lost all the weight. Good for you, you look stunning."

"Oh, thank you," she replied, a blushing at the compliment. She tugged slightly on her hand that was still in Mike's firm grip.

"Oh, sorry," he chuckled and released her hand. 

"Well, I'd better go," she said backing out of the door. "Maybe I'll see you later." 

"Count on it," Mike replied and she giggled again. He watched her leave the apartment then turned to Chandler and Joey with a huge grin on his face. "Whew! She is _hot_!"

Joey winked and nodded, "Yeah baby!"

Chandler scowled at Joey, then turned to Mike. "No, all right?! Absolutely not! Ross would kill you. She's his little sister."

"What did I say?" he retorted, all innocence.

"It's not what you said, it's the way you looked and acted," Chandler told him with a frown. "I know how you work and I'm warning you...stay away or Ross won't be happy." With a final hard stare at his friend he left the apartment.

Mike looked at Joey and pursed his lips thoughtfully. "You know, somehow I think that Ross wouldn't be the _only_ one who wouldn't be happy."

Joey grinned and nodded in agreement, then suddenly frowned. "You mean her parents, right?"

Mike stared at him incredulously. "Yeah, that's who I meant."

************************

Monica looked up from her seat on the couch as Chandler entered her apartment, slamming the door behind him. 

"I take it you're not here because you admit it's your turn?" she commented wryly as he stood with his hands on his hips glaring at her.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded angrily.

"What the hell was what?" she countered, her own anger firing as she stood up to face him.

"All that giggling and '_maybe I'll see you later_' stuff with Mike," he mimicked sardonically.

"I was just being friendly," she defended.

"Oh really?" he cried furiously, walking towards her. "Well, for your information, he thinks you're really hot and trust me, he wants to be more than just _friendly_ with _you_!"

She couldn't help the smile that broke out on her face. "He thinks I'm hot?"

"Monica!" Chandler exclaimed coming to a halt in front of the couch.

"What? He's gorgeous, I'm flattered," she goaded, enjoying his display of jealousy. "Who knows, maybe I'll drop by later and see just how _friendly_ he wants to get," she added in a suggestive tone.

The anger suddenly seemed to drain from Chandler and he visibly sagged. "Well, you obviously like him back so I guess that's it then," he said quietly and turned to go. 

"What?" questioned Monica in disbelief. Seeing that he was actually leaving, she hurriedly walked around the couch to stop him. She blocked his path and grabbed his arms in concern. "Come on Chandler, I was just mucking around. I'm not interested in him at all. I could see that you were jealous and I was just trying to get a reaction from you," she explained contritely. "I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

"Oh, Mon, please. I saw the way you looked at him in there. You like him and I could never compete against Gandalf…I mean…God, his reputation with the ladies surpasses even Joey's!" He shook his head despondently and moved to go passed her. 

"Chandler, wait!" She took hold of his left hand and placed her right against his cheek. "Look, I don't care who's turn it is, all right?" she said softly. "I can't stop thinking about that night in London and I want to know if you will you go out with me?"

He silently stared deep into her eyes, then slowly leaned forward and claimed her lips with his own. The hand on his cheek moved around to cling to the back of his neck. Her other hand then slid up him his arm and across his shoulder to join it. His arms wrapped around her body and pulled her close as the kiss deepened.

They slowly pulled apart and Monica smiled. "I take it that was a yes?"

"Yes," he whispered and kissed her again.

This time when they drew back, it was his turn to smile…and it was smug. "See, I told you I'd win."

Monica's mouth dropped open as his words sunk in and her expression turned angry. "Why you…"

Chandler cut off her tirade by quickly kissing her again. He tightened his hold on her waist with one hand and pushed the other up into her hair. Her muffled attempts at talking soon became moans as she passionately returned his kiss. There would be plenty of time for talking later.

THE END. 


End file.
